Hypertext vs Hypermedia
The World Wide Web is a part of the internet, the interconnected network of computers which has brought the world closer and perhaps made its boundaries and limits diminish. The foundation of the world wide web is documents and other media in it which are interconnected through links. Such links are known as hyperlinks. Hypertext is the electronic format in which the text or documents stored in the World Wide Web (WWW). Hypermedia is the format where different electronic media are combined in a single document or to an interconnected compilation. Ted Nelson in 1963, coined the terms hypertext and hypermedia, to represent the database system he built for storing documents including text and other media like audio and video, with relevant references are linked to each other.
More about Hypertext
Hypertext can exist on the web as either static or dynamic content. Static hypertext documents are prepared in advance and stored, while the dynamic hypertext changes based on the user inputs. The most significant application of the hypertext is the world wide web. Though other applications also exist. Large collections of data can be stored as hypertext, where the relevant information can be linked to each other by hyperlinks as like in an encyclopedia or books making the content easily accessible and cross referenceable.
Among all implementations of the hypertext, world wide web stands out, although numerous other software uses hypertext as a foundation. The GNU help system Texinfo and windows help content are based on the hypertext. More modern version of hypertext markup is XML which expands the functions offered in HTML.
More about Hypermedia
Hypermedia is the use of text, data, graphics, audio and video as elements of an extended hypertext system in which all elements are linked, where content is accessible via hyperlinks. Text, audio, graphics, and video are interconnected to each other creating a compilation of information, which is generally considered as a non-linear system. The modern world wide web is the best example for the hypermedia, where the content is most of the time interactive hence non-linear. Hypertext is a subset of hypermedia, and the term was first used by Ted Nelson in 1965.
Hypermedia content can be developed using specified software such as Adobe Flash, Adobe Director and Macromedia Authorware. Some business software as Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office Suite offers limited hypermedia features with hyperlinks embedded in the document itself.
What is the difference between Hypertext and Hypermedia?
• Hypertext is the electronic text format where, content is interconnected using hyperlinks, while hypermedia refers to media such as text, audio, graphics and video interconnected using hyperlinks.
• Hypertext is a subset of hypermedia.
• HTML or XML like language has to be used for any hypermedia implementation, including hypertext too.
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